Take
Heed
The Gk. word “blepo”
can mean “to look or see to it, usually implying an intent, earnest
contemplation to take care or heed.”
Matt. 24:3-12 What
did Jesus tell His disciples to see to it about (i.e., watch out for) – vs. 4?
By whom will many be misled?
Are you seeing to it that no false prophet
misleads you? If so, how?
1 Cor.
10:6-13 Why should the person who thinks (because he is self-confident in his own strength) that he is not
susceptible to committing sin (as the
Israelites of O.T. did) take heed?
Are
you so proud and vain as to think that you would never
commit any of the sins mentioned in verses 7-10?
Why
do you think pride could lead to falling into these sins?
What
has God provided for us, so that we can endure any temptation/trial and not
cave in to it?
Are
you choosing God’s way of escape (from
caving into the affliction or solicitation by looking to Jesus for an example
of endurance, Heb. 12:1-3), so you can endure the trial/temptation?
Col. 4:17 What did Paul tell
these Christians to say to Archippus?
Are
you taking heed to (considering to the
point of acting upon it) the ministry which you have received in the Lord,
and why?
What
is your ministry, and are you fulfilling it?
How
did you determine your answer?
Heb.
Do you find yourself ever
having an evil, unbelieving heart regarding things God tells you about in the
Bible or through Christian speakers teaching the Bible accurately, and why?
What is one way to help
remedy the problem (vs. 13)?
Are you involved in
encouraging other believers, and why?
How can you specifically
encourage other Christians to believe God’s Word, the Bible?
The Gk. word “blepo” can also mean “to look, and has the meaning of
taking heed, looking to oneself.”
2 Jn. 1:6-9 Why are these Christians
to watch themselves?
How
would they lose a full reward (that the
apostles had laid a foundation for them getting by teaching them the truth
about Jesus being the Christ, Savior, and Son of God in human flesh and in
which they believed, vs. 9)?
[Realize that wrong beliefs lead to wrong living
which, in turn, leads to loss of rewards from God.].
Are
you being deceived by people who claim to be Christians, yet teach things contrary
to Scriptures?
Or
by people who quote Scripture, but take it out of context?
What
is the best way to insure that you won’t be deceived?
What
do you plan to do about it?
The Gk. word “blepo” can also mean “to see, and is applied to mental vision, and is sometimes used by way of warning to take heed against an object.”
Phil. 3:1-3 Who should Christians beware of?
Based on Phil. 3:18, 19;
Isa. 56:10, 11; Rom.
Just because someone is
religious, do you gullibly assume that they must be sincere, honest, and teaching
the truth, and why?
What should you do (e.g., Acts
The Gk. word “horao” usually means “to see or heed.”
Matt. 16:5, 6, 11, 12 What
did Jesus tell His disciples to beware of?
Just as the Pharisees and
Sadducees were the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day, so today there are
many different religious leaders both within and without the Christian
faith. Do you warn those whom you work with
or train to watch out for the false teachings of these religious leaders, and why?
What would be helpful to
know in order to caution others?
Will you be doing this? If so, when will you
start?
Lk. 12:13-15 What
did Jesus tell the crowd to beware of?
Would
you say that you are ever greedy (have
strong desire to acquire/possess wealth or gain for yourself)?
In
what areas: money, possessions, position, popularity, pleasures?
How
do you plan to deal with this sin?
The Gk. word “prosecho” means “to
hold to, signifying to turn to, turn one’s attention to; heed.”
Matt. 6:1 What did Jesus tell
His disciples (and the multitude) to
beware of?
What
would happen if they disobeyed?
Do
you ever do nice things for other people or in your service for God, so that
other people will see you doing it, and why?
Is
it because you are insecure or have a poor self-image and need recognition? If so, what do you plan to
do about it?
Acts
If
you are in a position of spiritual leadership, are you doing this? Why?
How
can you do this?
Heb. 2:1 Because Christ is superior to
the Old Testament prophets and angels (Heb.
1), why should these Christians pay much closer attention to what they have
heard?
Do you ever drift away from the things that God
tries to teach you (either through the
Bible or through Christian speakers who teach the Bible accurately), and why?
What areas do you tend to drift away from that God
has been waiting for you to be obedient in?
The Gk. word “epecho” means “to
hold upon, then, to direct towards, to give attention to; heed.”
1 Tim. 4:12-16 What
does Paul tell Timothy to keep on paying close attention to, and why?
[“salvation” – means sanctification or deliverance from deceitful
spirits and doctrines of demons, vs. 1].
Do
you pay close attention to yourself (how
you live, act, and speak)? Why?
Do
you keep on paying close attention to your teaching (whether you are teaching biblical principles correctly), and why?
If
so, how, and when do you do this?
How
could you do this?
In what way would this insure salvation (i.e., deliverance from deceitful spirits and their doctrines, vs. 1; or sanctification/growth) for you and others?
The Gk. word “skopeo” means “to
look at, consider, implying mental consideration.”
Lk. 11:33-36 What are we to watch out for – vs. 35?
[“light” – means right thinking and beliefs]. [“darkness” – wrong
thinking and beliefs].
What
things, interests, aspirations, or people tend to or could cloud your spiritual
perception or understanding, and why?
What
can you do to insure that your spiritual understanding is heightened and clear
rather than clouded or darkened?
Are
you doing this, and why?
The Gk.
word “nepho” signifies “to be free from the influence
of intoxicants, it doesn’t in itself imply watchfulness, but is used in
association with it; sober; it can also mean to abstain from wine, and is used
metaphorically of moral alertness; sober.”
2 Tim. 4:2-5 What
connection is there between being sober in all things and watching out for
false teachers?
Do you take life lightly, and why?
Are
you giddy (light-heartedly silly),
unthinking, apathetic to spiritual values, or caught up in vain, wild
speculations, and why?
What
can you do to become “sober in all things”?
The Gk. word “egeiro” is used
metaphorically, of “awaking from a state of moral sloth; awake.”
Rom.
Why is
this timely?
Does
the thought of your soon salvation (entrance
into heaven; glorification) motivate you at all to action (i.e., to live a holy life and love others),
and why?
The Gk. word “phulasso” means “to
guard, watch, keep, of being on one’s guard against; beware.”
2 Pet. 3:10-18 Upon whom will destruction (Gk. “apoleian” –
spiritual ruin, 2:1, 3) come, vs. 16?
From what should we be on guard (vs. 17)?
[“unprincipled men” – those who are untaught
and unstable] [“steadfastness” – sure position in the truth].
Do
you know the Bible well enough so that if someone is distorting the Scriptures,
you would know it?
What
can you do in order to know the Bible that thoroughly?
When
do you plan on starting?
What
should we grow in (vs. 18)?
Are
you growing in (utilizing) grace (God’s favor in enabling us to live
spiritual lives, 1:3)? If so, how?
The Gk. word “shamar” means “to
watch or observe; guard.”
Psa. 39:1-7 What
does the Psalmist say he will guard, and why?
[To
guard your mouth means to refrain from speaking without thinking first and then
saying what is biblically appropriate.].
Do
you feel that you guard your mouth (i.e.,
think first, and then speak only that which is biblically appropriate, Eph.
How
can you go about guarding your mouth (Jas.
When
do you plan on starting?
The Heb. word “natsar” means “to
keep, watch, reserve, or set a guard.”
Prov.
How should we do this?
Why should we do this?
Are
the “springs of life” (i.e., the actions
you do) that flow from your mind good or bad?
What
can you do to best watch over your heart (i.e.,
what you feed your mind)?
The Heb. word “palas” means “to weigh mentally or ponder.”
Prov. 4:26, 27 What else should we watch?
Are you watching the path of your feet (i.e., being aware of your conduct, so that
it’s good, wise, and right)?
What
will result if we watch this?
Is
it important to you that your life is fruitful/successful/stable, and why?
The Gk. word “gregoreo” refers
to “keeping awake, physically.”
Matt. 26:36-41 What did Jesus tell His disciples to do (vs. 41)?
Why
were they to do this?
[“spirit” – that
invisible entity that is God-conscious and the vehicle of communication with
God.].
[“flesh” – the human body with its functions and sin nature].
The “temptation” here was to become disloyal to
Jesus. When God tells us to pray about things (Phil. 4:6) or people (Eph.
Do you ignore His commands, forget His commands,
fall asleep while attempting to keep His commands, or do you keep watch and
pray, and why?
What can you personally do to keep from entering
into temptation?
The Gk. word “gregoreo” also can
refer to “spiritual alertness or vigilance.”
1 Cor.
[“alert” –
means “stay awake or be watchful”][“men” – means “be
mature or act like an adult”][“strong” – spiritually
in Christ ]
Are
you alert/watchful, standing firm in believing what the Bible teaches, acting mature/adult-like, and strong in the Lord?
In what ways, specifically?
Col. 4:2 How are we to
devote ourselves in prayer?
Is
this the way you pray? Why?
How
can you go about keeping alert in prayer?
1 Pet. 5:8, 9 Why should we be of sober
spirit and on the alert?
[The devil wants to destroy us, so he looks for Christians who are
mentally or spiritually polluted or clouded and sleepy/groggy, tired, or fatigued.].
How
can you stay of sober spirit (free from
mental intoxicants)?
Are
you saturating your mind with the truths of the Bible? If so, how, and how often?
The Gk. word “agrupneo” means “to
be sleepless, wakeful, and is used metaphorically, to be watchful (intent upon a thing).”
Eph.
[While being “in the Spirit” (controlled by God, the Spirit), we should
be observant and intent on praying constantly for the needs, protection, and
spiritual well-being of fellow believers.].
Are
you doing this, and why?
Heb.
Are
you responding to your spiritual leader(s)
in this way (i.e., obedient and
submissive), and why?
How
and why should we let our leaders watch over our souls?
In
what ways would it be unprofitable to not obey and submit to our (spiritual) leader(s)?